Investigators of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that while there were reports that suspect Myles Sanderson may have been seen at the James Smith Cree Nation on Tuesday, further investigations had determined he was not in the community. The police advised the bystanders to take shelter and not approach him.
The possible sighting came two days after a spree of violence involving 13 crime scenes in an Indigenous community and a nearby rural village, according to officials.
Less than three hours after the first attack was reported, authorities determined that the suspects were Sanderson, 30, and his brother, Damien Sanderson.
Police said Damien Sanderson, 31, was found dead Monday morning in a “dense grassy area” near a home in James Smith Cree Nation.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore added that her injuries are not believed to have been self-inflicted and the exact cause of death will be determined by the Saskatchewan coroner.
Myles Sanderson Blackmore was considered “armed and dangerous”. He said he had a “long criminal record” and had a warrant for his arrest before the stabbings.
Police warned Sanderson could also be injured and seek medical attention, but did not provide further details as to why they believe he may have been injured.
“We have strong reasons to believe that he suffered some injuries. We are not sure exactly what those injuries were,” Blackmore said. Said.
Sanderson was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and breaking into a home, although he is still at large.
“Three patients are in critical condition, seven are in stable condition, and seven have been discharged since Sunday,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday, adding that “SHA numbers may differ slightly from other institutions as we only follow up and report on.” referrals to hospitals.”
According to Reuters, one of the victims was identified as first responder Gloria Burns. His older brother, Darryl Burns, told Reuters he was responding to a crisis call when he was caught in violence and killed, but the agency did not say whether the call was about the stabbings.
“It was butchered,” his brother, Ivor Burns, told Reuters.
Suspect released by parole board
Sanderson had previously been legally released by the Parole Board of Canada, according to a decision made on February 1, 2022. The board said it did not believe the decision would pose a risk to the public if Sanderson were released.
“It is the Board’s view that if you are legally released, you will not pose an unnecessary risk to society and that your release will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen,” the resolution said.
The decision drew attention to his long criminal history and was assessed by a psychologist for “moderate risk of violence”.
“Your criminal history, including violence and gun use related to your index crimes, and your history of domestic violence that has victimized your family and non-familial victims, including your children, is very concerning,” the resolution says.
“You are assessed by the psychologist as a risk of moderate violence and domestic violence. While your behavior in detention did not show significant concern, there have been some minor incidents…”
According to the Parole Board of Canada, statutory release is a statutory release that allows an offender to serve part of their sentence in community under direct supervision. Legal release aims to provide structure and support to the offender before the end of their sentence to increase their chances of successful reintegration into society.
“This person has been legally released. Legal release is a probable legal release. This is not parole and is not a Canadian Parole Board (PBC) decision,” the board said in an emailed statement to CNN.
Under Canadian law, the Canadian Correctional Service must release most offenders on probation after serving two-thirds of their sentences if they have not previously been paroled. Offenders serving life sentences are not eligible for statutory release.
On Monday, Saskatchewan police confirmed that Sanderson stopped seeing his parole officer in May, in violation of his parole conditions.
Police did not specify a reason
The suspects were believed to be traveling in a black Nissan Rogue with Saskatchewan license plates, which was reported to have been seen with two people in Regina, more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of the James Smith Cree Nation, on Sunday. shelf.
Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said that although the lead on the car was already “old”, it remained the last reliable information police had.
Blackmore said police have not identified a motive for the attacks and still have no information on the type of weapon used. “Significant resources are required to process 13 crime scenes,” he said.
“There’s a lot of concern right now in our province, in our communities, and across the country,” Bray said. Said. “And so we need to start the recovery process and that won’t happen until we make this arrest.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the stabbings as “horrible and heartbreaking”.
“I am shocked and devastated today by the horrific attacks of the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan that killed 10 people and injured many more,” Trudeau said in a statement. Said.
Few details have been published about the siblings. Still on the loose, Myles Sanderson is about 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 240 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes.
It remains unclear whether he was involved in Damien Sanderson’s death, according to police.
“It’s an investigative path we’re following, but we can’t say that with certainty at this time,” Blackmore said. Said.
How the attacks developed
Investigators on Monday were trying to piece together the order in which the attacks took place. Blackmore said the stabbings did not necessarily occur in the order in which the calls came, and it was unclear whether the brothers were suspected of carrying out the attacks at the same time.
Police said the first stabbing was reported at 5:40 a.m. local time at the James Smith Cree Nation, and several more calls came a few minutes later about stabbings elsewhere.
By 9:45 p.m. authorities reported that there were victims in multiple locations, including one in the village of Weldon, and that some victims may have been attacked at random.
In total, 28 people were injured, 10 of them died.
Helicopter crews took some of the injured to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, while others were brought by ground ambulances to local hospitals. Police said there may be other casualties who took them to various hospitals.
According to Blackmore, the victims included men and women of different age groups, some of whom were openly targeted while others were attacked at random.
Police did not release details of the victims’ circumstances and identities, but said the youngest were in their early 20s.
About three hours after the first stabbing was reported, authorities determined the suspects were the Sanderson brothers and told the public they were driving a black Nissan Rogue SUV.
Around noon, a warning was sent that the suspect vehicle had been spotted by a driver on Arcola Avenue in Regina, telling the public in Regina to take shelter.
Damien Sanderson was found dead the next morning.
CNN’s Amy Simonson, Carroll Alvarado, Michelle Watson, Chuck Johnston, and Artemis Moshtaghian contributed to this report.
